Stereotypes and Portrayals
by Knight Mistress
Summary: You don't know us like you think you do. You don't know that we're not the people you make us out to be. You don't know our true personalities by just a few sentences in a book. If you don't judge a book by a cover, than don't judge us by the mistakes we make or how we act. Get to know us and stop making up stories just to make us more "interesting." It just doesn't work that way.
1. Lissa

Almost every single author on this whole Maximum Ride forum misunderstands me.

It's sad. You think you know _so much_ about my life. I doubt you even know my last name. My favorite color. (It's not pink. God, I hate stereotypes.) Who I'm friends with. (I don't even know who these 'Brigid' or 'Maya' characters are.) Know what classes I have every single day? Yeah, I don't think so.

But you think you know me! How could you do that? You don't know me! I hate being portrayed as something I'm not! How could you just assume things about me from a few sentences in a book? I'm _not_ the school slut! I'm _not_ some bitchy girl who has to sleep with every boy! I'm not like that, seriously! Do you even know my personality?

Exactly! You don't. So why do you bother to create a personality for me in almost every single fanfiction out there? I am portrayed as something I'm not. I'm an average school girl. Sure, I'm a flirt, I'll admit that. When I first saw Nick or Fang or whatever, I giggled and flirted with him, naturally. He's good-looking and I wanted to get to know him better.

I _never_ knew that Max liked him. She was his sister, for god's sake! I didn't know they had this thing going on. If I did, I probably wouldn't have kissed him. Simple as that. And I'm pretty sure I didn't know that at the time..

Well, if you don't understand now, let me put you in a real life situation. Let's say that a family of six kids came to town. Two of the guys were pretty handsome, but only one was in one of your classes. You either a) stare at him until he finds you creepy or b) help him out with something in a nice/flirty or c) sigh and know that he will never notice you. I choose option b) and know he knows where the dictionary is and he noticed me and he doesn't think I'm a total creep. Does that sound slutty to you?

If my opinion matters, I think the whole kissing part with Nick was a little much. Now, don't go thinking that I just want to make everyone happy by saying it was a bad idea - no, it wasn't. (He's a great kisser, by the way. Max is lucky.) I just wanted to say that if we were in a relationship, I probably wouldn't have taken it that fast. But I did hear a rumor earlier that day that these people liked to move. I couldn't just let someone like him leave..

I didn't see Max in the doorway, either, Nick was the one facing the door. Sorry again, Max! And he was the one who decided to kiss back.. not to blame it on him or anything.

To add onto my point, Nick was pretty mad after I kissed him. He doesn't like me, obviously, he likes Max! At that point, I just thought he really wanted to rip my head off. Maybe he's cooled down.

And Max? I don't hate you. Maybe we could be friends. At the time, I didn't even know you existed. You probably want to kill me, which is understandable. But please stop calling me "Red-Haired Wonder." I don't call you "Nick's Favorite Girl" or anything. (Although, you are one lucky girl. Don't let anyone get in between you guys, it's chemistry.)

So, all in all, I'm not a slut. I'm a regular girl. You don't know me, fanfiction authors. Make me into some monster. I made a mistake kissing Nick. Every makes mistakes, but people just seem to remember my one mistake. You probably made more mistakes than I did but I don't see anyone remembering yours and turning you into some horrible person.

Fanfiction authors, I have but one request: Can you forgive me for making a mistake and getting in between 'Fax?'

Lots of love,

Lissa


	2. Brigid

I seem to remember that the sentences describing me didn't include something of the lines of "slut, pedophile and some twenty-year old who is attracted to a fourteen year old."

If you think so, go ahead and read it again. And again. And again. Until you can get it in your little brain that I am not who you make me out to be.

Sure, you can call me a mean girl and stuff. You know what they say, "haters gonna hate." I guess I can classify you all as "haters" if you classify me as a "freaking rich and popular girl who doesn't care for anyone else." I'll call you something that you aren't if you do the same to me.

Also, I would like to let you all know that I graduated college and am _not_ going to be in high school with Lissa, Maya or the Flock.

If anything, calling me a nerd would be so much better. You know, I once read a story where I was classified as a nerdy, shy girl who skipped a grade or two. That. Was. Freaking. Awesome. Someone (if that's you, I congratulate you) finally got who I am right. Thank you.

So, use that as an example, because obviously, I'm smart and proud. I gratulated from college earlier than most. I went to Antarctica with a bunch of scientists who were at least twenty years older than me. (Well, most were, there were some my age.)

Now, I'm going to tell some of you to stop reading here. If you think that you are awesome at portraying my _real_ personality, than kudos to you, you don't have to hear me rant any farther.

But to everyone else who is still here and considering me someone who stole/or is trying to steal Fang away from Max, than you need to keep reading. Please do and learn something from it.

Here's _my _side of the story. It's important you know this.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? I graduated from college a couple years earlier than I should have. Then I was shipped off to Antarctica for studies. Still on board here? Then I was told that the Flock (ie. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel and Total) were coming to our boat to help us in figuring out global warming. I was like, "Okay," and didn't really think much of it until they got here.

I don't remember being told that they had wings until a day or two before they came. Naturally, being a scientist, I wanted to study them. You would too. It's amazing to think that someone was able to give them bird genes and that they were able to fly. Most of the Flock seemed closed up to me, though. Max obviously didn't like me and I didn't know Iggy well enough. Nudge, Gazzy and Angel were just too young to understand what I was trying to do.

Most of you know that, right? If you don't, you do now. This next part is the part that everyone messes up. This is the part where I'm labeled as a slut.

Before I tell it though, I was never in love with Fang. Never. He's six or so years younger than me. I'm not that kind of girl. It's not like I have a boyfriend (I don't) or I'm desperate (I'm not), it's just that he was the only member that would let me get a closer look of his DNA.

That's all. Fang and I became close because I was able to study more about him being 2% bird. I hate to break it to all of you dramatic story-tellers, but that's all that happened. I'm _so very sorry_ that you were telling lies about me the whole time.

Basically, the few sentences about me were turned against me. I never fell in love with Fang. He never fell in love with me. Max and him were always together. I never interfered.

I hope that you can eventually understand that.

-Brigid


End file.
